Neighborhood watch group conducting 1st meeting

The newly formed Historic Downtown Neighborhood Watch group will have its first meeting of the year Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Laws Room of the First Presbyterian Church.

Guest speaker will be Mayor Kristen Brown.

Purpose of the meeting will be to review activities of the past year and to plan projects in 2014.

The Neighborhood Watch group was created last year in response to residents’ concerns about crime and deteriorating living conditions in a 12 block downtown area centered around the 11th and Washington streets intersection. City officials stressed the importance of supporting the neighborhood effort by dramatically increasing police presence and working with the group to improve the condition of numerous run down properties.